Start and Develop A Movement, Not a Youth Ministry – Part 1

This is part 1 of 3 in a series from Maina Mwaura.  

John 1:38: Jesus looked around and saw them following, “What do you want?” he asked them.
Usually when one thinks of the term “movement” they probably think of some of the great movements in history: the Civil Rights Movement, Women’s Suffrage Movement and many more just to name a few. Many Urban student leaders don’t see what they do as anything worth being called a movement but just a meeting.

In John, Chapter One, Jesus was starting the greatest movement; Not a movement to change laws but a movement to go after the hearts of men and women. I think if Jesus were here physically he would challenge us to do the same things. Throughout the next 3 weeks I am asking you to take a look a starting a movement with your students and look at your time with them as something more than just a meeting. You may be asking: How do I start a movement?

John Maxwell states in his book, The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential, ”Leadership is a process, not a position.”

As an Urban leader there are three things that you must look at when it comes to starting your movement:

  1. Are you willing to dream and process what could be? So many times as leaders we are so busy that often we forget that great leaders need time to process an idea and dream. What if you threw off the blinders of what you’ve always done and think and pray for what God is calling you to do?
  2. Are you willing to look at your students as future leaders and not just today’s youth? Yes, we all know that they are teenagers but one day prayerfully they will be our leaders. We will take a look at this in the coming weeks but what if you started developing your students into leaders and not just church goers?
  3. Are you willing to grow as a leader yourself? Remember the old saying, you can’t go anywhere you haven’t been yourself. As a leader of a movement you have to see yourself growing as well. We will take a deeper look at this next time we’re together. But for starters I want to leave you with one question:
  4. What would it take for you to be the Urban leader that God has called you to be?
…Continue to Part 2

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  1. […] is Part 2 of 3 in a series by Maina Mwaura.  Read Part 1 […]

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